Secrets, espionage & cocktails: Perfect drink recipes for a night of “Scandal-ous” television

Secrets, espionage & cocktails: Perfect drink recipes for a night of “Scandal-ous” television

For the “seasoned-vet” viewers of Scandal, I have crafted a few character-inspired cocktail recipes that are sure to help take the edge off both while waiting for the remainder of Season 2. Cheers to Olivia (Kerry Washington)!
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If you have yet to be ensconced in the cult phenom television series Scandal you do not know what you are missing! The powerhouse behind the show is none other than Shonda Rimes, the brilliant creator of mega-hits Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice.

The show is centered around Olivia Pope (played by actress Kerry Washington) a political “fixer” and owner of crisis management firm Pope & Associates. Her clients are those that are entangled in messes so deep that only a miracle (or a thick Rolodex, lots of cash, and a bit of serendipitous good fortune) can get them out of it.

Interestingly though, Olivia doesn’t just fix problems, she also fixes people. Olivia has a merry band of helpers, but each of them has their own closet full of skeletons, too. For all of her redeeming qualities however, Olivia is no saint: she’s having an affair with Fitzgerald Grant, the president of the United States.

With the addictive and riveting plot twists, storyline surprises, and a complex cast of characters that you don’t always know whether to like or loathe (sometimes doing both in the same episode) set against the politically charged backdrop of the nation’s capital, Scandal keeps its viewers riveted to the screen to watch what happens next.

Fans can't wait for the remainder of season 2 to begin Thursday night (9 p.m., Channel 13), after a mid-season cliff hanger and brief series hiatus, to find out what will happen to one of Olivia’s team members, the mysterious, talented, highly trained, and "highly damaged” former CIA operative, Huck. Did he do it?

In the meantime, for the “seasoned-vet” viewers, I have crafted a few character-inspired cocktail recipes that are sure to help take the edge off both while waiting for the remainder of season 2, and also while you’re actually watching the show itself in anticipation of the next plot twist to happen. Bottoms up!

Long Live the Pope

This drink is just like Olivia: strong, sultry and captivating, with a slightly delicate edge.

Mix all of the ingredients except the sparkling sake in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a flute glass and top off with the sparkling sake.

What the Huck?

"It's weird, it's black and bitter, it's minty and strange, and, quite frankly, it tastes like burning.” While this may aptly describe Huck it is also how Bar Manager Jeffrey Morgenthaler describes Italian digestivo Fernet-Branca, the secret ingredient in this drink. Although it may not sound appealing, it is quickly becoming the darling ingredient of the cocktail scene according to Food & Wine magazine.